Introducing new chicks

[Aidan Wright]

I have an established flock of six chickens that are all a couple of years old, and I've got three new chicks I'm trying to introduce to the flock. The chicks are absolutely terrified of the larger chickens and keep hiding underneath the coop. Should I wait until they get bigger or just leave them out longer?

 

[All4Eggz]

I think you should wait until they are around the same size.

 

[VeryHappyHens]

I have an established flock of six chickens that are all a couple of years old, and I've got three new chicks I'm trying to introduce to the flock. The chicks are absolutely terrified of the larger chickens and keep hiding underneath the coop. Should I wait until they get bigger or just leave them out longer?

Just make a seperate run were the flock can see them and integrate them slowly.

 

[neo71665]

look no see method

 

[Ridgerunner]

The chicks are absolutely terrified of the larger chickens and keep hiding underneath the coop.

That sounds perfectly normal and the way it should be. Smart chicks!

Should I wait until they get bigger or just leave them out longer?

What does your coop and run look like? How big are they, in feet or meters? Photos, inside and out, could help. It's a lot easier to give suggestions if we know what you have to work with.

My goal for an integration is that no one gets hurt. They can all become one big happy cuddly flock later, but for now that is not important. What is important is that no one gets hurt.

Until my chicks become mature enough to force their way into the pecking order they tend to form a separate sub-flock. If they enter the personal space of the hens they will probably get pecked. They learn pretty quickly to avoid the adults so they don't get pecked. Sounds like yours have already learned that. Smart chicks! My pullets tend to develop that maturity about the time they start laying eggs. Until then they generally try to avoid the older chickens. Each group is different, sometimes they can mingle without getting beat up.

If the chicks cannot get away from the adults and avoid them there is an element of danger. That's why having room is important. If they can't avoid the older it can be like a personal insult and the older can get dangerously mad.

Since I don't know anything about your specific situation I'll mention a few generic things. Give them as much room as you can. The quality of what room you have can be improved by clutter. Clutter means things they can hide under, behind, or over to help break line-of-sight. It sounds like your coop may be low enough to give them a place to hide. It helps to have widely spaced feed and water stations, hopefully out of line-of-sight. Housing them across wire for a few days or even weeks can help get them used to each other. It's good if they can sleep in separate locations, either in the main coop or even somewhere else. I don't care where mine sleep as long as it is predator proof and not in my nests.

If we knew more about what you have to work with we may be able to offer specific suggestions for your unique situation instead of generic things. Plenty of us integrate chicks younger than yours without too much problems so it can be done. But some situations make it harder than others.

 

[Aidan Wright]

That sounds perfectly normal and the way it should be. Smart chicks!


What does your coop and run look like? How big are they, in feet or meters? Photos, inside and out, could help. It's a lot easier to give suggestions if we know what you have to work with.

My goal for an integration is that no one gets hurt. They can all become one big happy cuddly flock later, but for now that is not important. What is important is that no one gets hurt.

Until my chicks become mature enough to force their way into the pecking order they tend to form a separate sub-flock. If they enter the personal space of the hens they will probably get pecked. They learn pretty quickly to avoid the adults so they don't get pecked. Sounds like yours have already learned that. Smart chicks! My pullets tend to develop that maturity about the time they start laying eggs. Until then they generally try to avoid the older chickens. Each group is different, sometimes they can mingle without getting beat up.

If the chicks cannot get away from the adults and avoid them there is an element of danger. That's why having room is important. If they can't avoid the older it can be like a personal insult and the older can get dangerously mad.

Since I don't know anything about your specific situation I'll mention a few generic things. Give them as much room as you can. The quality of what room you have can be improved by clutter. Clutter means things they can hide under, behind, or over to help break line-of-sight. It sounds like your coop may be low enough to give them a place to hide. It helps to have widely spaced feed and water stations, hopefully out of line-of-sight. Housing them across wire for a few days or even weeks can help get them used to each other. It's good if they can sleep in separate locations, either in the main coop or even somewhere else. I don't care where mine sleep as long as it is predator proof and not in my nests.

If we knew more about what you have to work with we may be able to offer specific suggestions for your unique situation instead of generic things. Plenty of us integrate chicks younger than yours without too much problems so it can be done. But some situations make it harder than others.

Thanks for the help. My run is pretty large, similar in size to one of those hoop coops. There are currently six older chickens and three chicks.